This week in the world of Free and Open Source Software, we had a lot of interesting things taking place. The Ubuntu Developers Summit – Oneiric had concluded and we now have an idea of what to expect from Ubuntu 11.10. We also saw the release of Linux 2.6.39 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1 this week.

PiTiVi Video Editor and Computer Janitor dropped from Ubuntu 11.10

For the Ubuntu 11.10 development cycle, two applications have got the axe. PiTiVi was removed because not many people use it to do video editing works. Another reason seems to be the fact that it has not been the most stable of applications and have been known to crash quite a few times. The other application, Computer Janitor, has been dropped because it is deemed not user-friendly and dangerous.

Deja Dup To Be Installed By Default In Ubuntu 11.10; High probability of Thunderbird replacing Evolution

At the UDS-O, it has been decided that the backup tool Deja Dup will be included by default in Ubuntu 11.10. This is great news for users as a backup tool is a very important application. Yes, users can always install it from the repository, but including it by default exposes it to more people who would have never discovered it otherwise. Read more about it here. You can also read our guide to using Deja Dup here.

There is a strong possibility that Mozilla’s Thunderbird email client could replace Evolution. The decision has not been made yet as works are going on to integrate Thunderbird with Unity. If it goes as planned, Thunderbird will replace Evolution. Development of Ubuntu 11.10 will, however, start off with Evolution as default. Read more here.

Linux 2.6.39 Released

Linus Torvalds had announced the release of Linux 2.6.39. This was a relatively small update but includes a few important features. The Radeon driver had been updated to support AMD’s Cayman series of GPUs. Users will also appreciate the improved performance of the EXT4 file system that the update has brought. You can read more about it here.

Ubuntu Studio chooses Xfce over GNOME

Ubuntu Studio has decided that they will use Xfce in its next release instead of GNOME. According to the announcement, neither GNOME Shell nor Unity are suitable for the target users of Ubuntu Studio. A safe upgrade path will be provided for the current users when Oneiric is released. Find out more details here.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1 Released

Six months after the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, RHEL 6.1 has been released. The update is said to bring improved stability, scalability and p[performance. A number of new features has also been added of which the improved virtualization seems the most exciting. You can find out more details about it here.